CHAPTER EIGHT
“Oops. Sorry about that.” Amy tried not to pay attention to the whiff of his cologne she got. Or how her heart skipped a beat at his nearness. “Trying to see if the loops look the same.”
Will stared at her for a moment then said, “Yeah. Your side looks better than mine.”
Amy glanced at the other side of the aisle and tried not to smile. “There is a bit of unevenness.”
Will scoffed. “A bit? I’m not cut out for this wedding decoration stuff.”
“Here, let me see if I can line them up with the other side.” Amy bent to slide the rope a bit at each hook.
Once they were looped to Laurel’s satisfaction, Amy and Will began the task of hanging bows on each hook with the help of Julia and Isabella.
“This looks so wonderful,” Amy said once they were done. “I remember how beautiful it looked for Cami and Josh’s wedding, too.”
“That was a really beautiful wedding,” Laurel agreed. “I think partly because it was such a long time coming. I was starting to wonder if your brother was ever going to pop the question.”
“All of us were,” Amy said. “But I think he just wanted to make sure it was the right decision. After having such a rough time with his first marriage, he didn’t want to rush into anything.”
“I’m glad it worked out so well for them,” Violet said as she began to close up the boxes. “And I think they are just perfect for each other.”
“I know,” Amy said wistfully. “Watching them together has reinforced for me the importance of waiting for the right person and not just settling. I know I talk about wanting to get married, but honestly, I’m in no rush. I’m trying to just trust God to do His work in that area of my life.”
Amy hoped she sounded more convincing than she felt. It was easier said than done to let God do His work in that part of her life when she still felt the sting of pain from the last time she’d trusted Him with it.
“And that’s how it should be,” Laurel said.
“Will, can you help us take these boxes to the storage room?” Violet asked. “We’ll leave them there to box everything back up after the wedding.”
Since the boxes were light, it didn’t take long to get them put away. They stood at the rear of the sanctuary for one last look, and Violet declared it perfect.
As they walked back to the manor, Amy felt a little hand slide into hers and looked down to see Isabella skipping beside her.
In the dusk of the evening, she smiled at her.
She had begun to formulate her plans for the birthday party and really hoped that Isabella would love it.
At some point in the next few days, she needed to get together with Will to run a few things by him.
..and ask for the use of his credit card or some cash.
Back at the manor, Violet and Laurel went upstairs to update Jessa on the wedding plans. Amy headed for the kitchen with Isabella and Will.
Mindful of Isabella, Amy looked at Will and said, “Can you give me a call in the next day or two? I have a couple of questions.”
Will nodded. “Yes, I was thinking we needed to touch base about that.”
“I’d also like it if maybe you could stop by on your own one time,” Amy suggested, hating that it sounded so clandestine but hoping that Isabella wouldn’t pick up on what she was saying.
“Will do.” Will turned to look at Isabella. “Think it’s time we headed for home.”
Isabella protested but finally, after saying an extended goodbye to Amy, followed her father out to the car.
Amy let out a long breath as she sank down on a stool at the counter.
It was hard to push aside the emotions that being around Will had brought to the surface again.
But she was determined to not let anyone suspect anything, in hopes that one day the feelings would go away, and no one there would be any the wiser.
She had to find that happy balance between not spending too much time with him and yet not avoiding him.
~*~*~
Will opened the door for Isabella to climb out of the SUV. “Did you have fun today?”
Isabella glanced up at him, her brow furrowed. “Yes. Auntie Violet said I swim like a fish.”
“I’m sure that’s true. You always did love your swimming lessons.”
“I wish we had a pool,” Isabella said wistfully as they rode the elevator to their fifth floor apartment. “Then I could go swimming all the time.”
“We’d have to move if we wanted a pool,” Will told her.
“I’d like to move. I want to live in a house like Julia. She can go outside and play whenever she wants. And Uncle Lance built her that super cool playhouse. I want that.”
Will knew that it was a bit ridiculous to continue to live in an apartment with a child when he could afford a home that would give her the things she wanted.
He just needed to make up his mind about the beginnings of the house he already had.
He’d put the building on a temporary hold once they’d decided to move from Collingsworth, but Delia’s passing had made it permanent.
So while the outside of the building was basically complete, the inside was empty. No walls. No furnishings. Nothing.
“We’ll see about moving,” Will said, hoping he wouldn’t regret telling her that. “But it won’t happen right away, so you need to be patient.”
“Really?” Isabella fairly danced around him as he unlocked the door to the apartment. “I promise not to bug.”
Mindful of Jessa’s words about being a daddy, not just a father, Will tried to help Isabella with her bedtime routine. Her independent streak was wide and well established, however, and she just kept saying she could do it herself.
Finally, after she’d turned out her light and crawled under the covers, Will knelt beside her bed.
“Listen, Bella.” The ease with which the nickname rolled off his tongue took him by surprise.
Yet in that moment, she truly was his Bella.
Swallowing hard, he said, “I want to talk to you for a minute. Okay?”
There was a beat of silence. “Am I in trouble?”
“Oh, no. Nothing like that,” Will assured her. “I realized today that I haven’t been a very good daddy for you. It was very hard for me when your mommy died.”
“’Cause I made her die?” Isabella asked.
Will felt the breath squeeze from his lungs. “Why do you say that?”
“I heard some of the mommies talking at Megan’s birthday party. They said it was so sad that my mommy had died so I could be born.”
“That’s not true,” Will said, trying to keep the anger he felt toward those women from his tone.
“Your mommy had something wrong in her brain that we didn’t know about.
Yes, she was pregnant with you when it got really bad, but it wasn’t your fault.
You were born early because of what happened to your mommy, but you didn’t make her die. ”
“Really? I thought maybe you didn’t love me because of that.”
Will’s eyes closed briefly, and he prayed that God would give him the words to say.
“I’m sorry, sweetie. I hurt really badly when Mommy died.
I loved her very, very much. After she died, I was scared to love you that much in case something happened to you too. I didn’t want to hurt like that again.”
“So you do love me?” Isabella asked.
“Oh yes, I do,” Will said as he placed a hand on her silky soft hair. “I’m sorry I haven’t done a good job showing you, but I’m going to try to do better.”
“Are you going to be like Uncle Lance is with Julia? Or Uncle Matt and Uncle Dean with their kids?”
“Is that what you’d like?”
“Yes. I’ve wanted a daddy like them.”
Will let out a long sigh. “I’m going to try my best. Be patient with me, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Goodnight, sweetie.” Will leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “See you in the morning.”
As he left the room, Will hoped that he would be able to fulfill his promise to her.
For the first time since her birth, he really wanted to.
And when he’d said he loved her, he knew the words came straight from his heart.
He just wished it hadn’t taken him so long to come to his senses.
He was a fool. A stupid, selfish fool. But he was going to try to make it up to her as best he could.
He went to the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee before heading for his study.
After setting the mug on the desk, Will removed his phone from the holder on his belt and settled into his chair.
As he turned on his computer monitor, he found his thoughts going to Amy.
He needed to give her a call. He glanced at the time in the corner of his monitor.
It was still early enough that he could probably call her.
He picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts to find where he’d entered her information earlier.
When she answered, he said, “Hey. It’s Will.”
“Hi. Hang on a second.”
He heard her rustling around and wondered if he’d gotten her out of bed.
“Okay. Sorry about that,” Amy said. “Just wanted to grab my notebook where I’d made some notes.”
“Notes?”
“Yes. For the party. You don’t throw a party like this without some organization,” Amy informed him.
“I’ll have to defer to you on that, having never thrown a party like this before.”
“Just be glad it’s not her wedding. I’d be sending you spreadsheets and documents in addition to asking for your credit card.”
“Well, in that case, I’m glad we’re starting off small.”
“I hope you don’t regret asking me to do this,” Amy said. “Because this is going to be a party to remember.”
“So I take it you have some ideas?”
“Oh, you bet. Based on my conversations with Isabella over the past few days, I’ve determined that we’re going to do a forest fairy party.”
“I get the fairy part. She’s nuts about fairies, but the forest?”
“Yes. That’s why I want you to come by when you can. I want to show you a spot I found in the woods where I think we can have the party.”
“You want to have the party in the woods?”
He heard Amy sigh before she said, “Don’t you have any imagination at all?”